Temporary Travel Powers

Here are some screenshots of the special/temporary travel powers mentioned in this blog. (Note that the Jump Pack from the Good vs Evil edition was a permanent power.)

Bubblegummer using the Jump Pack.





Another view of the Jump Pack. The character is Frog Solid.





Gromar using the Zero-G pack.





Stocker using the Raptor Pack.





Jingle Jet worn by Billy Coffin. This holiday flight pack has cheery music that plays when the power is first activated.

Screenshots: First And Last

I took over 500 screenshots while playing City Of Heroes. Here are the first and last screenshots.

Here is Gromar in Skyway City. He just finished talking to a contact (Jake Montoya -the man to the right).

Taken 6/16/2007 / 18:20:46.

Next is Gromar participating in the shutdown vigil in Atlas Park. The game officially shut down at midnight Nov. 30, 2012.

Taken 12/1/2012 / 01:01:58.

An Axe A Day...

Gromar's Story:

Remembering my old costumes got me thinking about my old axes. I have had several over the years but I only keep two of them mounted on the wall.

The first is the battle axe I got from my uncle. It looks a bit battered now but could still stop a villain or two. It stopped quite a few villains over the years.

My uncle had a silly saying: "An axe a day keeps the villains away". Axes inspire visions of violence and retribution. Crooks don't like losing body parts. You don't always have to use lethal force but your axe says you can if you need to. The old battle axe still looks deadly.

The second axe is one I took from a Rikti officer I defeated during an invasion attempt in Talos. It has a very large blade but is surprisingly light and agile. It looks as deadly as the battle axe but adds another layer of mystique - I had to defeat powerful foes to obtain it.

The Rikti Axe was my main weapon for the remainder of my time in Paragon City. When we evacuated I had a copy made and put this one on my wall.

When I was looking at my Rikti Axe Lee asked why none of his weapons were hung on the wall. I said they were best kept in the freezer or they would melt. Lee said they had been but were now in my drink. Ice blasters. Sheesh.:)

Gromar with his Rikti Axe.

Note: The Rikti Axe could be unlocked by acquiring the Watchman Badge.

Gromar's First Costumes

Gromar's first costume. June 18/07

Gromar's second costume. June 23/07

Note: The glassy glow around Gromar is his Ice Armor.

Death And Drugs

Lee's Diary:

Joey called last night and he was upset. He told me Sherman Baines died in a car accident yesterday. That's sad. Sherm was a good guy and I knew him most of my life.

There was a "Rock Party" out at the old quarry. The redneck kids go there to drink and throw their beer bottles at a big slab of rock. They've been doing this for years.

Joey went to the party yesterday with Sherman and his girlfriend. Joey wants to buy Sherm's pickup and Sherm was going to let him test drive it. (I don't know why Joey is all hyped about a truck when he has to wait to get his license. I think he just wants to hang around with the older guys).

Sherm was drinking at the party but Joey said he wasn't drunk. He and his girlfriend left early and Joey was going to go with them but Sherman hinted they wanted some privacy. Joey asked around and somebody offered a ride back to town.

About an hour after Sherm left Joey and his ride headed to town. They had to stop because the road was blocked by police cars and ambulances. Sherman's truck was wrapped around a tree.

The cops said that the girl had survived but was hurt. Sherman was dead. They asked if he had been drinking. Joey said he was dazed because he could have been in that accident too.

I liked Sherm. He was my team's "assistant student coach" for the last few summers. When I got my powers he was one of the few people who didn't seem bothered by them. This is all so sad.

I had trouble sleeping last night. I had a mission to take care of this morning so I was awake and out early. I kept wondering if Sherman had been too drunk to drive. He could hold his liquor - but still. Does it matter? Who would have stopped him from driving? Probably no one.

My mission took most of the morning to complete and it went well. By lunchtime I was tired again but I had things to do before I went home. I had lunch in a cafe in Skyway City. The owner had a TV on and I watched the news.

Most of the news was boring but one story bothered me. Two high school students were found dead this morning at the school. They had overdosed on Superadine - the drug that trolls use.

I've fought trolls and they're tough. They don't even seem human any more. The supa-trolls are gross and often run around smashing things during troll raves. They are humungous and can be dangerous.

The trolls were raving when I was heading home. Just seeing them made me angry. I knew they had nothing to do with Sherm but their habits probably influenced those two students. I decided to let things go and just head home when I saw a problem.

A supa-troll was running down the street and barreled right over a woman. She screamed and threw her shoe at it - hitting it in the back. The troll turned around and charged her. She ran.

I fired off some iceballs at the troll and ran to help the woman. Both shots hit the troll and he came at me. I don't know much of what happened next but I fought the troll hand to hand. I was in a rage and forgot all of my usual tactics. At some point the troll and I knocked each other out.

When I came to I was laying on my stomach and the woman was shaking me. She was relieved I was okay. She thanked me before she left. I looked at the troll and decided to not call the cops. It wouldn't help anyway. Supa-trolls are too far gone to understand laws or survive in prison. (That's what I was told). Mostly I just didn't care whether it lived or died.

I made it home okay and feel better now.

The Ambush

Gromar's Story:

I had just finished a mission and I was tired. I decided to phone my contact rather than meet with her. I stood in a quiet spot in the train station in Founder's Falls. I didn't expect any problems because the stations are fairly secure and are protected by police bots.

I only talked with my contact for a few minutes. We discussed the mission and roughly planned our next move. After the call ended I checked the police scanner to see if there was anything going on. If there was, and it wasn't urgent, I could accept the mission and deal with it in the morning.

As I scanned the reports I heard the police bots fire their lasers. I looked up and saw a Nightwolf climb onto the exit ramp. He saw me and charged!

I met the beast in the middle of the room and we fought. I could hear people getting off the train scream in panic. I wanted to protect them as well as myself and I hit the werewolf as hard and as fast as I could.

In less than a minute the fight was over and I assured people things were okay. Police arrived and I gave a brief report and promised to give a detailed one in the morning. I finally got on the train and made it home without any more excitement.

I should have known The Council would be monitoring my contact's phone. They have an uncanny ability to keep tabs on heroes and almost always attack when they feel someone is "interfering" in their affairs. I'll have to remember that their werewolves are fast enough and strong enough to get into the train stations without going near the police bots.

You can't let your guard down in Paragon City.

Notes:

Train stations are usually safe places. Ambushes do occur around them but I had never seen a fight inside one - until now. During the fight one hero got out of the train. I didn't chat with her but I can imagine her surprise when she found herself almost walking into a battle.

Battle Royale

Gromar's Story:

I was going to a mission in Crey's Folly and met a horde of Freakshow as I hovered down to the mission entrance. They were tough but I defeated them. Freaks just need a a bit more convincing than other criminals.

When I finished the mission I decided to check out a historic site. I just started to read when I heard a shout and nine or ten Freaks came barreling around the corner of a ruined building. They surrounded me and I put my Whirling Axe skill to good use. There were Freaks flying everywhere.

During the fight I was thankful for another skill I have that transfers energy from my foes to me. I stayed fresh while they were stumbling with exhaustion. This is probably why I survived and they didn't.

I met with my contact and gave my report then went and sold confiscated salvage. I couldn't relax so I headed to Eden to check out historic sites.

I should have known things would happen because the zone is still "hot" for me. My visit was uneventful until I remembered there was an "unofficial" bounty on Paragon Protectors. I decided to hunt.

I searched out individuals or small groups and 'interrogated' them. If they attacked me they would be committing an offense and I could arrest them. (Of course arresting anyone while using a battle axe doesn't leave much to send to jail.) Protectors are very aggressive and arrogant. They all attacked me.

If I found a Protector in a large group I would taunt him and fly to the top of a building and fight him there. This kept the rest of the thugs away. This worked well for a couple of fights.

I decided to defeat one last Protector before heading home. I found one who looked about as tough as me but he was surrounded by about 10 Crey and a few Nemesis soldiers. I taunted him and went to a nearby rooftop. He followed and we proceeded to fight.

I hadn't seen a small hill beside the building and the others used it to get to the rooftop. Suddenly I was surrounded just as I had been in Crey's Folly. What followed was a long fight that consisted of defeat one thug, drive the rest back with Whirling Axe, steal energy, and repeat the process. Things got even more complicated when I knocked the Protector into a group of Devouring Earth.

Eventually I was the only one standing. I headed for the Founder's Falls gate and flew high to avoid any other confrontations. I wasn't seriously injured and wasn't as tense as before. I knew I would have a good sleep.



Gromar fighting the last of the Crey and Devouring Earth.

Notes:

Gromar is my level 37 Ice/Battle-Axe Tanker.

"Bounty" - characters can earn badges for defeating large numbers of enemies.

"Historic Sites" - plaques that are needed for history badges.

"Hot" - areas where there are enemies that will attack your character. Enemies don't usually attack heroes five levels above their level unless provoked.

Tsoo Idol

Stocker studies a Tsoo idol during a mission.

Kid Strikes A Pose

Kid Freak poses for a photographer in Galaxy City.

Gromar And Lusca

Gromar hovers over a ship that some of his teammates are on. He is covered in ice armor. The black mist is something cast by another character.

The team decided not to hunt Lusca that day.

Lusca At Sunset

Corvalis hovers in the air and catches his first look at Lusca. The giant octopus Lusca is a regular visitor to the harbour of Independence Port.